~ Just me and my Crew exploring and sharing the world with all of you.

Hogwarts Running Club Molly Weasley Virtual 5K

First Run of the Year

Can I get a big woot for my first run of the year? I joined the Hogwarts Running Club this year and it’s been awesome! It’s been a crazy hard and stressful 2016 for me, but that’s OK. Winter is generally hard on me, and this group has kept me sane!

I should put a disclaimer out: I walk, not run. The good people at HRC don’t care that much, though. They say any movement is movement and I agree!

5k or Bust

The first HRC Virtual Run for 2016 was the Molly Weasley Ugly Jumper Run 5k. I wasn’t sure how I’d do, but I kept moving and built up my stamina. Generally, I feel like anything I do in the winter is bonus as there are days when I can hardly get out of bed due to the pain levels. I hate this Raynaud’s as well as my still undiagnosed auto-immune disorder as well as my osteoarthritis.

I hate it, but I refuse to let it win. If I need to crawl, I will do so because I’m far too young to be this crippled. So there. Ozma 1 – Body 0.

How I did

In the greater scheme of things, a time of 62 minutes 53 seconds for 3.55 miles sounds pretty terrible. In the land where my leg hurts after 2 miles, I’m impressed. I used my Gazelle elliptical for this virtual run and I think that helped. The super low impact nature of this machine means my knee can go further distances before I’m ready to call it quits. Did I want to call it quits? Sure. Yet, on I went.

I aim to do better for my next run. It’s going to be hard, but if I can do 5k, I can succeed! I’ll never be a marathoner, but I’m OK with that. I want to be healthier and I want my joints to stop hurting. It’s a fine balance between what I must do in order to keep my joints functioning and what I can’t do because it ends up backfiring and making me worse.

What I learned

It’s hard, but if I can do it, anyone can! We’re all in this together. If you need a buddy, I’m here for you. Having a support team made all the difference. I don’t think I could have kept going if it wasn’t for my buddies in the club cheering me on each day. I love that we’re here to support one another and share our love of Harry Potter. To the entire HRC as well as my buddies in the 🐍💚🐍 Slytherin House 🐍💚🐍, thanks!

Goals for next time

A better speed. I would love to get back down to my 50 minute 5k. I do think that I go faster on the road than on my machine. Maybe not, I don’t know. It sure feels like it. I sacrifice the race day excitement doing the virtual runs on my own, but the crowds set off my anxiety. I would love to be able to do a race in person, but between the need to get up early and the dealing with crowds, I don’t know how to make that happen. I wish my anxiety levels were better. They’ve gotten worse again, but the HRC work outs actually help calm me. Endorphins. It’s all about the endorphins!